Hisakhana Pahoona Corbin BRAZILIAN MIGRATION to GUYANA AS a LIVELIHOOD STRATEGY: a CASE STUDY APPROACH
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UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARÁ NÚCLEO DE ALTOS ESTUDOS AMAZÔNICOS CURSO INTERNACIONAL DE MESTRADO EM PLANEJAMENTO DO DESENVOLVIMENTO Hisakhana Pahoona Corbin BRAZILIAN MIGRATION TO GUYANA AS A LIVELIHOOD STRATEGY: A CASE STUDY APPROACH Belém 2007 UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARÁ NÚCLEO DE ALTOS ESTUDOS AMAZÔNICOS CURSO INTERNACIONAL DE MESTRADO EM PLANEJAMENTO DO DESENVOLVIMENTO Hisakhana Pahoona Corbin BRAZILIAN MIGRATION TO GUYANA AS A LIVELIHOOD STRATEGY: A CASE STUDY APPROACH Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada como requisito parcial para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Planejamento do Desenvolvimento. Orientador: Prof. Dr. Luis Eduardo Aragón Vaca Belém 2007 Corbin, Hisakhana Pahoona Brazilian migration to Guyana as a livelihood strategy: a case study approach/Hisakhana Pahoona Corbin; orientador Luis Eduardo Aragón Vaca. – 2007. 177f. : il. ; 29cm Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Pará, Núcleo de Altos Estudos Amazônicos, Curso Internacional de Mestrado em Planejamento do Desenvolvimento, Belém, 2007. 1. Brasil – Migração – Guiana. 2. Guiana – Imigrantes – Brasileiros – Guiana. 3. Trabalhadores estrangeiros brasileiros – Guiana. 4. Imigrantes – Condições sociais. I. Título. CDD 325.2810988 UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARÁ NÚCLEO DE ALTOS ESTUDOS AMAZÔNICOS CURSO INTERNACIONAL DE MESTRADO EM PLANEJAMENTO DO DESENVOLVIMENTO Hisakhana Pahoona Corbin BRAZILIAN MIGRATION TO GUYANA AS A LIVELIHOOD STRATEGY: A CASE STUDY APPROACH Dissertação apresentada para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Planejamento do Desenvolvimento. Defesa: Belém, 13 de julho de 2007 Banca examinadora: Prof. Dr. Luis Eduardo Aragón Vaca Orientador, NAEA/UFPA Prof. Dr. Fabio Carlos da Silva Examinador interno, NAEA/UFPA Prof. Dr. Mario Amin Examinador externo, Unama e Ceplac ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is a product of exhilaration, frustration and dedication. A number of persons and organizations have contributed in one way or another for the successful completion of this dissertation, and therefore deserve special recognition. My first thanks go to the United Nations University (UNU), Tokyo Japan, and the Centre for Advanced Amazonian Studies (NAEA) of the Federal University of Pará, Brazil, for making my postgraduate studies and research a reality. To Professor Luis Aragon, my supervisor, I am ever grateful for his dedication in guiding me in distance and time. Going well beyond the usual standards of academic generosity, he was always patient and ready to provide answers to my countless perguntas. His ideas and suggestions were no less than inspired, and the result is a research of far greater scope and clarity than earlier anticipated. Professor Aragon, I thank you so very much for your extreme kindness. I also wish to extend sincere thanks to: Mr. Bernard, Mr. Da Silva, Dr. Mark Bynoe and Ms. Rose for their kind support throughout this research. It was during several discussions with Mr. Bernard, when the idea of this research arose and the original outline was laid. Sincere gratitude is also extended to Mr. Robson Benn, the former Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, and staff for their kind support in facilitating my trips, by land, air and water, to the hinterlands, and providing me with the necessary cartographic data. Without the contribution of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, this study could not have been a success. Heartfelt thanks are also extended to the former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Winston Felix, the Superintendent of Police, Mr. Lakeraj, and the staff at Lethem Immigration Department: Mr. Ross, Mr. La Rose, Mr. James and Mr. Blair, for their kind cooperation in facilitating my data collection process. Sincere thanks are also extended to Albano Gomes, Frank Campos, and Gordon Forte for their kind assistance. Finally, I extend the finest thanks to the study participants whose cooperation and confidence in me have been remarkable. ABSTRACT This mixed method case study was conducted with focus on Brazilian migration to Guyana as a livelihood strategy. The study examined, described and analyzed the migration and adaptation process, and the socioeconomic and physical environmental impacts and concerns of the livelihood activities adopted by these migrants in Guyana. Questionnaires, interviews, documentaries, archival records, and observations (direct and participant) were utilized to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. The study confirms that throught a strong networking system, Brazilians from lower socioeconomic and cultural classes are able to adopt migration as a livelihood strategy, as they migrate in a step-wise manner along a well-defined route to Guyana. Maintaining this networking system, migrants have been able to respond swiftly to new livelihood activities both internally and internationally. In Guyana, mining and prostitution are the major livelihood activities that have given rise to both positive and negative socioeconomic consequences and concerns and, negative environmental impacts. Key Terms: Amazon; Brazil; Guyana; socio-environmental impacts; livelihood strategy; mining; prostitution RESUMO Este estudo de caso de metodologia mista foi conduzido com foco na migração brasileira para a Guiana como uma estratégia de sobrevivência. O estudo examinou, descreveu e analisou o processo da migração e da adaptação, e os impactos socioeconômicos e ambientais físicos e as preocupações associadas com as atividades de sobrevivência destes migrantes na Guiana. Foram utilizados questionários, entrevistas, documentários, arquivos e observações (direta e participante) com o objetivo de obter um entendimento profundo do fenômeno em questão. O estudo confirma que através de um forte sistema de rede, os brasileiros de classes socioeconômicas e culturais mais baixas são capazes de adotar a migração como estratégia de sobrevivência, à medida que eles migram através de uma rota por passos (step-wise) pré- definida para a Guiana. Este sistema de rede permite aos migrantes responderem prontamente às novas atividades de sobrevivência tanto interna como internacionalmente. Na Guiana, a mineração e a prostituição são identificadas como as principais atividades de sobrevivência que tem gerado conseqüências socioeconômicas tanto positivas quanto negativas e impactos ambientais negativos. Palavras-chave: Amazônia; Brasil; Guiana; impactos socioambientais; estratégia de sobrevivência; mineração; prostituição LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Regional Distribution of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname and Venezuela Nationals in Guyana, 2002................................................................................................................35 Table 2: Foreign Born Population in Guyana, 2002.................................................................36 Table 3: Guyana Foreign Born Population by Sex and Region of Residence, 2002................37 Table 4: Guyana’s Foreign Stock by Sex, 2002 .......................................................................38 Table 5: Regional distribution of the Guyana’s population, 1980-2002 ..................................47 Table 6: Guyana – Net Migration, 1995-1999 .........................................................................52 Table 7: Guyana’s major domestic exports (US$ million), 2001-2005 ...................................56 Table 8: Arrivals and departures at Lethem - Bonfim crossing (March 1 – April 30, 2006)...60 Table 9: Arrivals and departures of Guyanese and Brazilians at Lethem by age (March to April, 2006) ......................................................................................................................60 Table 10: Net migration among Guyanese and Brazilians, Lethem-Bonfim (March 1- April 30, 2006)...........................................................................................................................61 Table 11: Summary of survey findings, total migrants by sex (percentages) ..........................65 Table 12: General Characteristics of First Time Brazilian Migrants in Guyana......................71 Table 13: General characteristics of Brazilian resident migrants in Guyana ...........................80 Table 14: General characteristics of Brazilian migrants retuning to Brazil .............................89 Table 15: General characteristics of Brazilian Migrants returning to Guyana.........................93 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Sample Regions in Guyana - Regions 4, 7, 8 and 9..................................................24 Figure 2: Convergence of evidence in a single case study.......................................................26 Figure 3: Guyana’s population density, 2002...........................................................................46 Figure 4: Population pyramid of Guyana, 2002 .......................................................................48 Figure 5: Horticulturist account of the peopling of the Guianas ..............................................49 Figure 6: Guyana’s population trend – 1831-2002...................................................................52 Figure 7: Guyana’s main domestic exports, 2001-2005...........................................................57 Figure 8: Reasons declared by Brazilian and Guyanese migrants at Lethem-Bonfim border (March 1-April 30, 2006) .................................................................................................62 Figure 9: Months of Legal Stay Granted to Brazilians entering Guyana through Lethem (March 1-April 30, 2006) .................................................................................................62